The Academy process began with wide consultation among local organisations about what a project like this could achieve. The consensus reached in the consultation process was that:

• Learning and development needs an organisational development context to enable a coherent and compelling learning vision and delivery strategy to be developed for the long term, and
• there should be a co-ordinated approach to learning and development across partners
• the Academy should be the hub of best practice and drive learning and development (L&D) excellence.

The scope of the Academy’s activities has been mapped to include:-

• OD consultancy and support
• L&D research and innovation
• L&D framework design, construction and management
• L&D programme development
• L&D procurement
• L&D delivery
• Mentoring and counselling services
• Networking support and facilitation
   

Making our vision our reality

Turning the Academy’s Vision into reality will be a three stage process over the next five years 2008-2013 (with exact timescales still to be decided):

Stage one: Initially the Academy will be a virtual entity with local learning and development delivery continuing but co-ordinated and supported from a new leadership and resource Hub.

Stage two: The Hub will become a physical entity and Centre of Excellence over time and partners will transfer their learning and development resources and service delivery demands to it progressively.

Stage three: Eventually the Academy will become the Centre of Excellence for the majority of learning and development on behalf of partners, with provision for outreach services where needed and economically viable.